Best Card Readers and Tap to Pay Apps for iPhone UK 2026

Updated August 2026. An iPhone can now accept contactless card payments directly through Tap to Pay, so a sole trader no longer needs separate hardware for every sale. A physical reader still has advantages for Chip & PIN, shared staff use and permanent counters.

For most UK micro-businesses, compare Square, SumUp, PayPal Point of Sale and Revolut Business.

Can an iPhone take payments without a reader?

Yes. Tap to Pay on iPhone uses the phone’s NFC hardware to accept supported contactless cards and digital wallets. The merchant opens a supported payment app, enters the amount and asks the customer to tap their card or device on the iPhone.

Who is Tap to Pay good for?

• Mobile hairdressers and beauticians.
• Personal trainers.
• Tradespeople.
• Market sellers.
• Delivery businesses.
• Queue-busting staff.
• Backup acceptance if the main reader fails.

When is a physical reader better?

A reader is better when several employees share the payment setup, customers may need Chip & PIN, or the business wants a dedicated payment device rather than presenting a personal phone at every sale.

1. Square Reader

Square Reader costs £19 + VAT and pairs with a compatible iPhone. Standard UK in-person card processing is 1.75%, and Square’s core POS software has no monthly fee.

Square also supports Tap to Pay on iPhone, giving a business both reader-based and phone-only acceptance inside the same ecosystem.

See Square

2. SumUp Solo Lite

Solo Lite costs £25 + VAT and pairs with the SumUp app. Standard in-person PAYG processing is 1.69%. SumUp also supports Tap to Pay on compatible iPhones.

Payments Plus at £19 a month reduces eligible domestic consumer cards to 0.99% for businesses with enough card volume to justify the subscription.

Read our SumUp fees guide.

3. PayPal Point of Sale

PayPal supports Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android. The first Reader is currently £29 excluding VAT, additional Readers are £69 and Terminal is £149 excluding VAT. Standard card and contactless payments cost 1.75%.

PayPal is particularly relevant where the business already receives substantial PayPal payments online.

4. Revolut Business Tap to Pay

Revolut’s standard Reader and Terminal pricing for qualifying UK consumer Visa and Mastercard is 0.8% + 2p. Tap to Pay uses a different fixed fee. The current UK Basic fee schedule lists Tap to Pay for qualifying UK consumer Visa and Mastercard at 0.8% plus 10p.

The 10p matters at low transaction values. On a £5 payment it equals 2% before the percentage fee. On a £100 payment it is only 0.1%.

Read our Revolut Terminal review.

Fee examples

At 1.75%, a £10 payment costs about 17.5p, £25 costs 43.75p and £100 costs £1.75.

At 0.8% + 10p, a £10 payment costs 18p, £25 costs 30p, £50 costs 50p and £100 costs 90p. The structure becomes more attractive as average transaction value rises.

Does Tap to Pay accept Apple Pay?

Supported Tap to Pay solutions can accept contactless cards and compatible digital wallets such as Apple Pay. The customer does not need to use an iPhone. The merchant’s iPhone is acting as the payment acceptance device.

What about PIN entry?

Tap to Pay is built around contactless acceptance. Support for higher-value and PIN-related flows depends on the provider and device. A dedicated Chip & PIN terminal remains safer if physical card insertion is common in your business.

Internet connection

Do not assume Tap to Pay works normally without internet. If you sell at markets or rural sites, check mobile coverage and keep a backup route. A standalone terminal with its own SIM can be more resilient.

iPhone compatibility

Support varies by iPhone model, iOS version and provider app. Check the provider’s current compatibility list before relying on an older phone. Keep both iOS and the payment app updated.

Security

Tap to Pay is designed to use the iPhone’s secure payment capabilities rather than revealing card details to the merchant. The provider still handles the payment-processing relationship, and the business should follow the provider’s account-security guidance.

See our PCI DSS guide.

Best setup for a sole trader

For most sole traders, we would keep Tap to Pay available as a backup and still own a cheap reader if card acceptance is important to income. A £19 or £25 reader is inexpensive insurance against losing a £200 sale because the phone-only route is unavailable.

Square versus SumUp

Square is stronger for software around the payment. SumUp has a slightly lower standard percentage. At £5,000 monthly card turnover, the difference between 1.75% and 1.69% is only £3, so workflow matters more than the tiny rate gap.

Payment links

If the customer is not physically present, use a secure payment link or invoice rather than Tap to Pay. Card-not-present pricing is usually higher than in-person pricing.

Tap to Pay versus a Bluetooth reader

Tap to Pay wins on convenience because there is nothing extra to charge, carry or pair. A Bluetooth reader wins when the phone needs to stay in the owner’s pocket, several staff need access or a customer needs a more traditional payment flow.

Many businesses will use both. The app can remain installed as a backup while the low-cost reader handles routine transactions.

Battery life and real-world mobile use

Phone-only payments depend on the iPhone battery as well as mobile data. A full day of navigation, calls, messaging and payments can drain a phone faster than expected. Mobile traders should carry a power bank and avoid starting a long working day with a half-charged device.

What happens if the phone is lost?

Use Face ID or a strong passcode, enable Find My iPhone and make sure the payment account has its own secure login. Staff should not share the owner’s Apple ID or payment-provider password. If a phone is lost, remove access promptly from the provider dashboard where supported.

Receipts

Phone-led systems normally favour digital receipts by email or text. That is fine for most mobile services. If customers regularly need printed receipts, a standalone terminal with a printer may be a better fit than adding a separate mobile printer to the iPhone setup.

Using an iPhone at markets and events

Check network coverage at the venue before relying on Tap to Pay. Indoor exhibition halls and rural markets can have poor mobile signal. A dedicated terminal with its own SIM is not a guarantee of coverage either, but it gives you another connection route if the phone’s network struggles.

Using an iPhone for staff payments

Once more than one employee takes payments, a dedicated business device becomes easier to manage. You may not want staff handling the owner’s personal phone, messages and notifications. A cheap reader paired with a business iPad or dedicated iPhone can be a cleaner operational setup.

When should you upgrade to a standalone terminal?

Upgrade when payment volume becomes high enough that phone dependence slows staff down, when printed receipts matter, when Chip & PIN is common or when connectivity needs to be separated from the owner’s personal device.

Checklist before relying on iPhone payments

• Confirm your iPhone model is supported.
• Update iOS and the payment app.
• Test a live low-value transaction.
• Check mobile coverage at your normal trading locations.
• Carry a charger or power bank.
• Enable strong device security.
• Keep a backup payment route.

Our verdict

Square Reader is our default low-cost iPhone pairing because the hardware is only £19 + VAT and the software ecosystem is strong. SumUp is an excellent alternative with a slightly lower standard PAYG percentage. PayPal is convenient for existing PayPal merchants, while Revolut can be very competitive for higher-value qualifying UK consumer-card transactions.

For most mobile businesses, the best solution is to have both Tap to Pay and a physical reader available.

Also see our sole trader card machine guide, contactless guide and mobile card reader guide.